Game apparatus.



B. P. HANF'L GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10,1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909 2 BEETS-SHEET -1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

B. P. HAN FT. GAME APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10,1908. 930, 1 76.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES mum/wok ATTORNEY ANDREW, a. GRAHAM co,FMOTO-LHNUORAPHER& wnmnawn, u c.

. Patented Aug. 3; 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN P. HANFT, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN P. HANFT, a citizen of the United States,residing in Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus and it consists in a novel andamusing game apparatus somewhat similar to bowling, the essentialfeature of the present invention be ing that the objects which arestruck by a ball or the like and displaced are suspended and arepreferably so constructed and arranged that substantially the sameeffect results as when the objects are struck by the ball in bowling.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation ofthe improved game apparatus; Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation, partlyin section; Fig. 3 is a plan view, certain parts being broken away; Fig.

at is a View of one of the suspended devices; and, Figs. 5, 6 and 7 aredetail views of parts of said device.

a, in the drawings, designates a floor plate which supports twostandards I) which may be braced by the guy-wires c secured to the floorat the front and back of the floor plate a and which are connected by ahorizontal bar cl which is removably attached thereto by having its endsnotched, as at e, and receiving pins f which are driven through thestandards 6 in the slotted portions 9 thereof, the slots 9 receiving theends of the horizontal bar d. To the bar d is attached atriangular plate72. projecting forwardly; to support the front apex of the triangularplate I provide the guy-wires 2' which are connected with the upper endsof the standards Z), thus preventing the said plate from sagging out ofa horizontal plane.

To the under side of the plate h are attached the hooks j, their freeends 70 projecting rearwardly and substantially horizontally; thesehooks are arranged in triangular disposition one at the front, and thentwo, three and four in successive rows Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 10, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Serial No. 437,712.

back of the first, substantially the same as ten-pins are arranged inbowling.

Devices 7" like that shown in Fig. 4 are adapted to be suspended fromthe hooks j. In Fig. 4, Z is a casing of some such durable, flexiblematerial, as leather, and provided with a' laced opening m. Inthe casingis a rubber bag n having an inflating tube 0. The casing Z is of ovoidform and to one end is secured means for suspending it as follows:Laminated dished disks p and g, of leather and metal, respectively, arestitched to the casing, as at r, and are provided with the eyelet s. Ametallic loop t bears against the eyelet s and into this is screwed thestem u of a metal dished plate 0; which is stitched, as at w, to anotherplate of leather, m; the metallic plates 9 and o, when the stem isscrewed into the loop 2?, firmly clamp the upper edge of the casingbetween them, while the leather p gives an exterior finish and theleather disk :0 an interior'finish, the latter being designed to preventrupture of the rubber bag a.

The players throw the balls 3 at the devices sus vended, as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 8, from tie hooks j, and in order to return the balls thefollowing means is preferably provided. Four upright-s e are so arrangedto support a net 1 that the net will be spread.

back of the suspended devices and at both sides thereof. Another net 2,which is inclined from one side of the net 1 downwardly toward the otherside thereof and which converges toward an opening 3 in the net 1, isarranged under the plate (Z. The opening 3 adjoins the upper end of aninclined ball-runway .t which extends back to where the players stand.

In using this apparatus, the players throw the ball at the suspendeddevices with the object of hitting them and knocking them from the hooksThe balls used are preferably dead and since the suspended devices areelastic, when one is hit by a ball it may communicate a blow to more orless of the others, according to the dexterity of the player.

I do not wish to be limited to any'of the details of construction hereindescribed and shown. what I claim being 1. The combination of a suitablesupport, a plurality of hooks depending from said support in relativelyclose disposition and projecting substantially horizontally and inapproximately a common direction, and a plurality of suspended devicescarried by the hooks and displaceable therefrom in approximately acommon direction, each of said suspended devices being capable of auniversal swinging motion on its hook, sub stantially as described.

2. The combination of a suitable support, a plurality of hooks dependingfrom said support in relatively close disposition and projectingsubstantially horizontally and in approximately a common direction, anda plurality of elastic inflated suspended devices carried by thehooksand displaceable therefrom in approximately a common direction eachof said suspended devices be ing capable of a universal swinging motionon its hook, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my handthis 9th day of June, 1908.

BENJ. P. HANFT.

Vitnesses J OHN \V, STEWARD, M. D. BELL,

